Rosie Bialowas

Oct 20, 2023 | epicurious.com | Esteban Castillo |Nick Malgieri |Rachel Gurjar |Rosie Bialowas

If you have somehow managed to miss the Basque cheesecake glow-up of recent years, I hereby extend its reign with a new take, Cardamom Basque Cheesecake, so you haven't missed the party. One to elicit a surprised "oooh" from otherwise cheesecake skeptics like me, this is a world apart from an anemic, shiny slice of cold cloy. I tested this flavored version on a dank grey August afternoon in the basement staff kitchen of Kew's Palmhouse.

Oct 4, 2023 | epicurious.com | Al Sotack |Jesse Szewczyk |Rosie Bialowas

Let's begin by settling a debate. Buck vs. mule? Some maintain that the buck is the one with the base spirit plus ginger ale instead of its spicier cousin, ginger beer. Incorrect. Okay, so either a buck or a mule can be made with ginger beer or ginger ale?

Oct 3, 2023 | epicurious.com | Eric Ripert |Al Sotack |Rosie Bialowas |Jesse Szewczyk

Halibut is one of the most delicate types of fish, in both flavor and texture, and therefore should be handled gently and with great care-overcooking it completely destroys its natural characteristics. To test the doneness of this poached halibut, insert a metal skewer through the flesh of the fish until you meet a slight resistance, and leave it for 5 seconds before removing; the skewer should be barely warm when touched to your wrist.

Oct 3, 2023 | epicurious.com | Eric Ripert |Al Sotack |Rosie Bialowas |Jesse Szewczyk

The key to finding great bacalao, also known as salt cod or salted codfish, is the thickness of the fish; if the flesh is too thin, the salt will overwhelm it. It should be light in color, not gray, and you don't want it to be too pungent. Take the time to thoroughly desalt the bacalao by rinsing and soaking it. While time-consuming, it's a necessary and very easy step.

Oct 3, 2023 | epicurious.com | Eric Ripert |Al Sotack |Rosie Bialowas |Jesse Szewczyk

To achieve a light crispy, flaky phyllo crust, wrap the salmon in the phyllo neatly, but leave just enough room for the dough to create layers. If you wrap the fish too tightly, it will prevent the phyllo from becoming crunchy and will render the pastry soft and soggy. This is an easy recipe once you learn to work fast, and while it's designed to serve four, you may want to halve the recipe and try it for two the first time you make it.